From Decolorization to Solarization of Historical Glass: A review

Abstract

 Decolorization is the colour correction technique known since ancient times.  Antimony and manganese decolorize glass by oxidizing the iron oxides.  The influence of visible and UV radiation (less than 380 nm wavelength) on glass is called solarization.  Solarization may permanently degrade a material's blue after long term solar exposure in the desert. This paper aims to shed light on the studies and scientific literature of the decolorization and solarization phenomena of archaeological glass that until now has been recorded, but not extensively studied from the archaeometrical side.